Lexmark International, Inc.

John Booth Bates

Scott Michael Heydinger

Michael Anthony Marra, Iii

Randall David Mayo

Bruce Anthony DeBoard

Richard Lee Reel

Mark Walter Fagan

Robert Frederick Locasto

Lucas David Barkley

Timothy John Rademacher

Thomas Jon Eade

David Allen Crutchfield

Thomas Allen Bailey

James Ray Bailey

Curt Paul Breswick

James Alan Ward

James Lesesne Bush, Iii

Richard Francis Russell

Kenneth W Linville

Brian Andrew Brown

Mark Alan Lafferty

Disclosed is a method for printing a media sheet in a media processing device. The method includes aligning a first portion of a printhead of the media processing device to a print area of the media sheet. The method further includes printing the print area of the media sheet by traversing the printhead over the print area in a first direction. The printing is performed by the first portion. Further, the method includes aligning a second portion of the printhead to the print area by adjusting the media sheet relative to the printhead by an index distance in a direction perpendicular to the first direction. Thereafter, the method includes reprinting the print area by traversing the printhead over the print area in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The reprinting is performed by the second portion.

Method for minimizing printing defects due to missing nozzle in media processing device

A method for compressing data includes transmitting a requested compression factor such as a quality factor known in JPEG compression, to a scanner or like peripheral device. The type of communication link between the scanner or like device and a host computer is identified, and based on the communication link type, the requested compression factor is altered to generate a new compression factor subsequently used to compress the data. The amount of buffer, such as scan buffer, used by the scanner or peripheral device may also be used to alter the compression factor prior to compression.

Methods and systems for dynamic scan compression

A method of printing on a print medium includes using a first quantity of nozzles of a printhead to print a first set of scan lines of a plurality of scan lines at an edge of the print medium; using a second quantity of nozzles of the printhead to print a second set of scan lines of the plurality of scan lines in an interior region of the print medium; using a third quantity of nozzles to print a third set of scan lines of the plurality of scan lines to transition between the edge and the interior region, the third quantity of nozzles being greater in number than the first quantity of nozzles and less in number than the second quantity of nozzles; and printing each scan line of the plurality of scan lines forming the image with a same number of multiple passes of the printhead, regardless of the number of nozzles used for printing during a particular pass of the printhead.

Method for performing edge-to-edge transition during printing with an imaging apparatus

A method for printing shingling print data in a shingling print pass of a multi-shingling-pass print swath. One step includes compacting the shingling print data by removing the deterministic voids associated with the shingling print algorithm. Another step includes expanding the compacted shingling print data based on the shingling print algorithm. An additional step includes printing the expanded shingling print data.

Method for printing shingling print data

A print medium is printed on with a printhead of an ink jet printer. The print medium is advanced in an advance direction a predetermined amount. The print medium is printed on with the printhead in an area corresponding to the predetermined amount. A determination is made of an end of printable area on the print medium in the advance direction. The print medium is advanced in the advance direction a minimum reliable move amount, dependent upon the end of printable area determination. The minimum reliable move amount is less than the predetermined amount. The print medium is printed on with the printhead in an area corresponding to the minimum reliable move amount.

Method of ink jet printing with improved end of page printing

A method of printing with an ink jet printer includes providing a printhead having a plurality of first nozzles with a first size and a plurality of second nozzles with a second size larger than the first size. The first nozzles and the second nozzles are alternatingly disposed in a vertical direction. Print data corresponding to first columns of pixel locations is provided. The print data includes for each pixel location in the first columns both a respective large dot print datum and a respective small dot print datum. One of the respective large dot print datum and the respective small dot print datum is printed at a first pixel location of the corresponding pixel locations in the first columns. Second columns of pixel locations interleaved with the first columns of pixel locations are provided. The other of the respective large dot print datum and the respective small dot print datum not printed in said first pixel location of the first columns is printed at a first pixel location of the second columns of pixel locations.

Subcovered printing mode for a printhead with multiple sized ejectors

The present invention is directed to systems and methods for formatting hardware for a printhead, for use in a printing device. The systems and methods of the present invention can support the formatting function with hardware formatting logic. This hardware formatting logic can support multiple printhead platforms. The hardware formatting logic of the present invention can perform bit shifting, resolution reduction, bit per pixel reduction, data masking for shingling, and input data sourcing. The present invention can also include a system processor further including an embedded ARM processor which can fetch and execute instructions and/or firmware. These instructions can direct the embedded processor to configure a format block included within the system processor. The format block can be configured by the system processor via one or more control registers.

Systems and methods for printhead architecture hardware formatting

A system and method for controlling a print job in a printer, such as canceling the print job held in the printer. The system includes a printer having a processor that receives print jobs, including one or more print data swaths, from one or more host computers, and each print data swath includes at least a predefined group of characters. The system also has at least one host computer in communication with the printer and which selectively sends print jobs including print data and/or command data. The host computer further selectively sends a command which is a predetermined group of characters within the print data swath, and the command alters a function in the printer. The command is preferably a series of identical characters, such as NULL characters, and the command preferably causes the printer to enter a command mode to execute the commanded function. The inventive method of controlling print jobs includes the steps of sending a print job having one or more print data swaths from the host computer to the printer, sending a command embedded in a print data swath from the host computer to the printer, and altering a function of the printer with respect to the print job based upon the command received. The method preferably further includes the step of sending a message from the printer to the host computer once the function in the printer has been altered, such as the print job being purged, and to request the host computer to cease sending characters which comprise the command.

System and method for controlling print jobs in host based printers

A method of printing with an ink jet printer includes providing a printhead having a plurality of first nozzles with a first size and a plurality of second nozzles with a second size larger than the first size. The first nozzles and the second nozzles are alternatingly disposed in a vertical direction. Print data corresponding to first columns of pixel locations is provided. The print data includes for each pixel location in the first columns both a respective large dot print datum and a respective small dot print datum. One of the respective large dot print datum and the respective small dot print datum is printed at a first pixel location of the corresponding pixel locations in the first columns. Second columns of pixel locations interleaved with the first columns of pixel locations are provided. The other of the respective large dot print datum and the respective small dot print datum not printed in the first pixel location of the first columns is printed at a first pixel location of the second columns of pixel locations.

An ink jet printer receives image data defining a pattern of dots in a non-square rectangular grid and prints the pattern of dots on a print medium based on the image data. The pattern of dots consists of at least four interlaced checkerboard arrays of dots printed in four passes of the print head across the print medium, where each one of the four checkerboard arrays is printed during a different one of the four passes. Each of the checkerboard arrays is offset from the other checkerboard arrays by a predetermined spacing in at least one of the first and second directions. The printer prints the second checkerboard array horizontally offset from the first checkerboard array by a distance substantially equivalent to {fraction (5d/4)}, where d is the diameter of the printed dots. The printer prints the third checkerboard array vertically offset from the second checkerboard array by a distance substantially equivalent to {fraction (&minus;d/2)} and horizontally offset by a distance substantially equivalent to {fraction (&minus;3d/4)}. The printer prints the fourth checkerboard array horizontally offset from the third checkerboard array by a distance substantially equivalent to {fraction (&minus;3d/4)}. This dot placement method optimally covers a grid having a resolution of {fraction (4/d)}&times;{fraction (2/d)} dpi with dots having diameters that are much larger than optimal for the resolution of the grid. Thus, the invention avoids excessive dot overlap which could lead to ink saturation of the print medium.

High resolution printing

A thermal ink jet printer has two columns of nozzles in its nozzle plate parallel to the direction of motion of each sheet of media. When the sheet of media is thin such as bond paper having a thickness of 0.1 mm, for example, all of the nozzles are available for printing. When the sheet of media is thick such as an envelope having a thickness of 0.5 mm, for example, one-fourth of the nozzles are available for printing, and these are the nozzles first passed by the sheet of media during its advancement. Each sheet of media has the same feed rate although it takes four times as long for the thick sheet of media to be printed.

Thermal ink jet printer

A method of printing on a print medium with an ink jet printer uses a first color ink, a second color ink and a black ink. An image area on the print medium has a plurality of pixel locations. Print image data indicate one of a presence and an absence of the first color ink, the second color ink and the black ink at the plurality of pixel locations. A subset of the print image data is defined. A determination is made as to whether the subset of print image data indicates 1) a presence of the first color ink and/or the second color ink within the subset and a presence of the black ink within the subset; 2) a presence of each of the first color ink and the second color ink within the subset at a same corresponding pixel location; and/or 3) a presence of the first color ink and/or the second color ink within the subset at a number of corresponding pixel locations exceeding a threshold value. The print medium is printed on in the image area at an interlace level which is dependent upon the determination.

Method of interlaced printing using an ink jet printer

A method of printing an image on a print medium uses an ink jet printer, with the print medium being movable in an advance direction in the printer. An image area defined on the print medium includes a plurality of rasters extending in a direction transverse to the advance direction. The plurality of rasters are arranged sequentially adjacent to each other in the advance direction. A printhead includes a first array of ink jetting orifices and a second array of ink jetting orifices. Each of the first array and second array are configured for jetting a respective color ink onto the print medium. A plurality of first interlace levels associated with the first array of ink jetting orifices and a plurality of second interlace levels associated with the second array of ink jetting orifices are assigned to the plurality of rasters. Each of the first and second interlace levels are associated with only one of the rasters. The print medium is printed on in the plurality of rasters using the first array of ink jetting orifices with the first interlace levels, and the second array of ink jetting orifices with the second interlace levels.

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Harrodsburg, KY, United States of America

John Booth Bates